How to Dry Clean Wedding Dresses

Protect beading and sequins with your dry cleaning method.

A wedding gown contains more than the memories of your happy day. Although it may have the tears of joy from friends and family, it also carries the dirt from the ground on your hemline, perspiration and drips, spills or stains from food and drink. If you want a clean wedding dress before placing it in storage to hand down to a daughter, a thorough dry cleaning is in order. Dry cleaning the wedding dress ensures the removal of all traces of dirt and allows you to pass on the gown in pristine condition.

Instructions

1. Read the manufacturer's instructions. Determine the recommended cleaning methods and whether the dress is to be professionally dry cleaned or professionally wet cleaned. Learn the fabric content of the dress as it has a bearing on the cleaning method used. Confirm whether beads are sewn or glued on and require protecting during the dry cleaning process.

2. Question your dry cleaner about his expertise in cleaning wedding dresses. Find out whether he uses virgin solvents for each dress or reuses his solvents, as virgin are best. Ask whether he cleans the dress in house or sends the dress elsewhere to a wholesale cleaner. Consider a dry cleaner who will handle your dress himself.

3. Request a cleaning solution based on the type of wedding dress fabric in your dress. Choose perchloroethylene for dresses and linings made of silk, rayon or acetate that does not contain beading or sequins, as the solvent may melt the glue or damage beads.

   Select the Stoddard formula, hydro-carbon or Greenearth for dresses with beading or sequins as these solvents are not as harsh. Be aware that these solvents are also not as strong a degreaser as perchloroethylene.

4. Tell the dry cleaner about any stains and spills on the wedding dress. Show him the location of the spill and what caused it. Confirm the area will be pre-treated prior to the dry cleaning.

5. Pick wet cleaning for a polyester dress or lining, regardless of beads or sequins, Confirm the label has a hand wash or wet cleaning label. Understand that wet cleaning means the gown is cleaned with water and is a good method to remove spills, stains and the "sizing," which are chemicals added to wedding material. Removing the sizing makes it less susceptible to storage damage from mice and insects.

Tips & Warnings

• Always follow the manufacturer instructions on cleaning.

References

• Heritage Gown: Part 4: Cleaning Bridal Gowns